Germain, Wing, and Shizuku sat cross-legged in the shade of a towering boulder, observing Bisky as she completed their circle.
"Pay attention," Bisky's expression turned serious, a rare sight. "I haven't attempted this ability in many years. Just watch quietly and don't interrupt."
Germain, Wing, and Shizuku nodded solemnly, intrigued by Bisky's mention of "the ability."
"I'll start with Germain; he needs it the most," Bisky continued. "Then me, Wing and Shizuku are relatively okay for now; we can use it later when we return."
"While I'm relieving Germain's pressure, Wing and Shizuku, I need you to stay alert to our surroundings."
Both Wing and Shizuku agreed.
Bisky, with her blonde hair tied up neatly, looked mature and beautiful at this moment.
She extended her gloved hands, and energy flowed from her palms, converging at the center where everyone sat, gradually taking shape—a poised and confident "Magical Beautician Miss Cookie."
Then, Bisky closed her eyes, palms together, entering a state of deep meditation. Energy remained contained within her, like a conduit linked to "Magical Beautician Miss Cookie."
Simultaneously, "Magical Beautician Miss Cookie" also closed her eyes, hands together. After a moment, a soft golden glow radiated from her, palms slowly parting.
In what seemed like slow motion, the fluid movements of "Magical Beautician Miss Cookie" mesmerized everyone, resembling a dance of countless arms.
"The Hundred Hands of Guanyin..." Wing recognized the technique immediately, surprised to see it embodied in "Magical Beautician Miss Cookie" and used by Teacher Bisky here.
He inadvertently made a sound but quickly silenced himself, glancing worriedly at Bisky.
Fortunately, Bisky remained focused and undisturbed.
Though "Magical Beautician Miss Cookie" didn't use the "Hundred-style Guanyin" technique directly, she drew inspiration from it, adapted it to her own style, and applied it where she found most effective.
With a graceful flick of her hands, "Magical Beautician Miss Cookie" swiftly passed by Germain, Wing, and Shizuku, then an indistinct shadow swept towards Germain!
Germain felt as if his whole body was weightless, his scalp massaged, his neck eased, his shoulders stretched, and every part of his body from back to thighs to feet tended to.
After a while, he felt a cool sensation like essential oil spreading over his body, relaxing his tense and sore muscles and bones, like a flower bud unfolding effortlessly.
After this incredible experience, Germain slowly opened his eyes and saw "Magical Beautician Miss Cookie" standing calmly with folded hands. Her presence now resembled Guanyin.
"How do you feel?" Bisky handed him a small handkerchief and wiped the sweat beads from his forehead. There was pride in her voice. "I condensed the thirty-minute treatment into fifteen, but it should have increased stress relief."
Germain checked his "Hunter Badge" and saw a significant drop in stress, from 115 points to 82 points in one session.
Compared to the previous relief of 24 points, this time it was 33 points, likely due not only to "Magical Beautician Miss Cookie's" method but also his own "Toughness" trait.
When Germain shared this with Bisky, she beamed with pride, nearly turning her nose skyward.
Afterwards, Bisky had "Magical Beautician Miss Cookie" treat Shizuku in the same manner before taking a break.
Time passed swiftly during their beauty and relaxation session. Before they knew it, the sky brightened with warm sunshine, leaving everyone feeling pleasantly numb and comfortable.
Germain glanced at his pocket watch and reminded, "Bisky, it's almost half past seven. Time to head out. Lead us to the ancient ruins."
"Yeah." Bisky pushed herself up with both hands and leaped from the ground. Her princess dress fluttered as she dusted off her gloves and said, "Follow me."
The group retraced Bisky's path, guided by ample light, which revealed the edges of the ancient ruins ahead.
The square, sturdy stones arranged together didn't resemble living quarters, but rather a harbor for large containers.
Seeing the sight of the ancient ruins, Germain felt more confident in his previous speculation, though his expression was not one of joy, but rather concern.
"I haven't been up close, only seen it from afar," Bisky pointed towards the ancient ruins. "But it's undeniably massive. I couldn't see its boundaries at all."
The group passed through a valley with steep double walls, and as the view opened up, they caught their first full glimpse of the ancient ruins.
The buildings within the ruins were all square, varying in height, giving a chaotic, densely stacked appearance, like weathered tombstones over many years.
On the plain before the entrance to the ruins stood a stone tablet with faint rows of tiny characters etched onto it.
"Incredible..." Bisky had never been here, nor seen this stone tablet, but she recognized the words—the languages of the six continents. She squatted down and gently reached out to touch it.
"On XX/XX/XX, the XX Special Forces of the United States of Saherta arrived at the 'Ancient Labyrinth City,' as recorded in the 'Journey to the New World: East Edition.' Our mission is to find the 'Herb for All-illnesses.' This serves as proof of mankind's courage..."
What happened next was unclear, but clarity wasn't necessary because all four present knew their fate.
The "United States of Saherta" is one of the V5 major nations, and its special forces challenged the "Ancient Labyrinth City," one of the "Five Great Disasters and Hopes."
Located in the northern region of the six continents, the ancient labyrinth city lies beyond Lake Mobius in the Dark Continent. It can be reached by trekking through a sea of trees for 400 kilometers from the northern shores of Lake Mobius.
The excited special forces from the Saherta conducted a ceremony upon arrival and erected a stone tablet to assert the Saherta's claim here.
Soon after, they ventured into the ancient maze city and encountered the fearsome "Botanical Weapon, Brion."
Ultimately, only two survived, and the area was classified with an overall danger rating of B+.
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